In response to a public outcry over WINNER member Song Min Ho’s alleged neglect of duty during his social service, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has formally proposed a series of reforms to the Military Manpower Administration aimed at tightening oversight of social service workers.
Key proposals include adjusting the number of sick days allowed based on the length of service, offering incentives for unused sick leave, and introducing performance-based pay. The city also suggested granting placement agencies more authority to take disciplinary action in cases involving serious misconduct.
Song Min Ho, who served as a social service worker at a public welfare facility in Mapo-gu, came under fire last December for reportedly failing to attend work regularly. Though his agency YG Entertainment claimed all absences were approved and within regulations, whistleblower accounts contradicted the statement.
On March 31st KST, the National Police Agency confirmed that Song Min Ho had been summoned for questioning three times and that investigators had conducted a digital forensics investigation. “He admitted to leaving the workplace during working hours,” a police spokesperson stated.
Following the scandal, Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon ordered an immediate audit of all 1,500 social service workers operating under city departments. The results revealed 14 unauthorized absentees, seven of whom were reported to authorities.
In a move to enhance accountability, Seoul is piloting an electronic attendance system that records check-ins and check-outs to serve as evidence in potential disciplinary cases. The city has also urged the Military Manpower Administration to revise current regulations to include clearer disciplinary categories such as “warning,” “vacation reduction,” and “pay cuts.”
A city official stated, “We want to ensure that outstanding individuals are assigned to critical national and municipal institutions. It’s important to prevent hard-working service workers from feeling disillusioned due to the actions of a few.”
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